Clydebank manager Gordon Moffat insists it is important that the club continues to take steps forward as he prepares to welcome his side back for pre-season training next week.
The Bankies will be looking to build on a gutting finish to the 2025/26 campaign as they were pipped to the Lowland League title by Linlithgow Rose on the final day, but it’s been full steam ahead since then for the Holm Park side.
Moff has added creativity to his squad, with both Josh Jack and Blair Rossiter recruited ahead of the Lowland League West kicking off next month.
Jack picked up a hat-trick of individual awards at the end of the season for former club Cumbernauld Colts, and it was similar for Rossiter who was named Players' Player of the Year and top goalscorer at Johnstone Burgh.
The Bankies boss has had his eye on Rossiter previously and believes he is a perfect fit for the club.
Speaking to the Post, he said: "We were keen on Blair three years ago when he was moving up from South Shields and we were just a little bit late to it and he had already signed up for Beith, but we kept an eye on things and the opportunity came up to go back in for him.
"We lost a bit of creativity with Lee Gallagher moving on and Owen Wardell’s loan expiring, so we have been keen to add to those options and Blair does that.
"He can play so many different roles in the different systems that we might play, he can play basically anywhere through the middle of the pitch or out wide.
"With the way we he plays he fits the bill and has great ability and although he’s only 23, he has won a couple of league titles with Beith and is streetwise and knows the level.
"A few people have asked me how I’m going to fit everyone in with all of the options we have but for me it’s about having the quality and strength in depth.
"We’ll be playing close to 50 games next season all being well, so we need that quality for different situations and opponents and venues.
"We’ll maybe add one more in terms of an out and out winger and that’ll be us done from middle to front, probably with one more defender to come in to replace Adam Hodge who left us which will round us off nicely.
"We can’t stand still and look back on last season and say, ‘that was good’, which it was because we scored a lot of goals, so it’s important we continue to evolve."
Clydebank will get their pre-season schedule under way on June 30 when they host SPFL League One side Hamilton Accies before further friendlies in the Blackburn Legacy Shield against Blackburn United, Cumbernauld Colts and Musselburgh Athletic over the weekend of July 4/5.
A trip to Broxburn Athletic on July 11 is next on the agenda before finishing with a double header at Holm Park against Kilsyth Rangers and Irvine Meadow.
Moff wanted a big test for his side early in their campaign and knows the Accies will provide that.
He explained: "It’s similar to what we had last season with Spartans where we go in with a heavy one to sort of shock the boys into being ready.
"We finished our season early so we’re starting pre-season earlier which has a knock-on effect in terms of who is available.
"We were keen for a game in late June so you’re probably looking towards the SPFL for a game because for a lot of the clubs at our level it probably is a little bit early."
